Through the years, a number of persons have found it desirable or necessary to wear optical glasses of various types. While the structure of such optical glasses varies considerably, the majority comprise a pair of lens pieces which are connected to a common nose piece adapted to be received upon and rest upon the bridge portion of the wearer's nose. A pair of temple pieces comprising elongated, often curved members, are hingeably attached to the outer portions of the lenses or the frame supporting them and are worn along side the user's temple and head and extend behind the user's ear. In many cases, the lenses are tinted to provide sunglasses which aid the user's eye in withstanding extremely bright light.
In many activities in which glasses are worn, a need arises to also provide a rear view capability for the wearer. Persons such as security guards and sentries often have a need for rear view capability. In addition, elderly persons or others having difficulty moving their head in certain activities, may benefit from glasses having a rear view capability. Finally, some activities such as bicycling may be rendered safer by avoiding the need to turn the user's head about for rear view.
The need for such rear view capability in connection with glasses and sunglasses has prompted practitioners in the art to create various structures which provide one or more mirror devices supported upon the glasses frame or temple pieces. One such structure is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,105,183 issued Aug. 8, 1978 for a REAR VIEW MIRROR ASSEMBLY sets forth a removably mounted, slideably engageable, pivoting rear view mirror attachment for use on the temple portion of conventional eyeglasses. The structure shown comprises a mirror pivotally coupled to a cylindrical member which in turn is secured to a generally U-shaped temple support member. The position of the mirror is pivoted to provide angular adjustment and slideably positioned upon the temple piece for forward and reverse position adjustment.
Another structure set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,944 issued Aug. 5, 1986 for an OPTICAL DEVICE FOR AN INDIVIDUAL sets forth an optical device for mounting either a mirror or magnifying lens at a predetermined position in front of a optical glass wearer's eye which the mirror or lens to be adjusted to variable operative positions. An elongated temple support includes a group of downwardly extending fingers adapted to receive an embrace a portion of the temple piece of the optical glasses. The temple support includes an upper hinge portion from which an elongated arm is hingeably attached having a ball and socket joint at the remote end which in turn supports a mirror.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,423,150 issued Jan. 21, 1969 for an EYEGLASS FRAME WITH ADJUSTABLE REAR VIEW MIRRORS sets forth a pair of viewing glasses in which the temple pieces are adapted to include an elongated channel running a substantial portion of their length. The temple pieces are further adapted to extend beyond the hinge portion and an elongated mirror support is adapted to be received within the temple piece channel and the slideable portion therein. One end of the elongated member supports a pivotally secured mirror while the other end supports a knob used in sliding the elongated pieces with respect to the temple piece to adjust mirror position.
Italian Pat. No. 594,364 issued June 1, 1959 for a MIRROR FOR REAR VIEWING sets forth a device for attachment to a conventional pair of glasses in which supports are secured to the temple pieces and frame portions of the glasses. The supports include vertical stand-offs to which a pair of elongated rods are attached so as to extend inwardly and above the lenses of the glasses. A connecting rod having length adjusting means is secured to the inwardly extending rods. A pair of mirrors are attached to the end portions of the extending rods and extend downwardly to the wearer's field of vision. The position of the mirrors is adjusted by the linking rod.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,349,246 issued Sept. 14, 1982 for a REAR VIEW MIRROR WITH SLIT CLIP ATTACHMENT sets forth a rear view mirror for use with conventional glasses including a clip attachment adapted to be received upon the temple piece. The clip comprises an alligator clip-like structure from which an elongated rod-like portion extends outwardly and terminates in a pivotally ball and socket joint. A mirror is coupled to the ball and socket joint and the position of the mirror is adjusted by virtue of pivoting the ball and socket joint.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,988,058 issued Oct. 26, 1976 for a REAR VIEW MIRROR DEVICE FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE ACCESSORIES OF THE USER sets forth a rear view mirror assembly for mounting on various types of apparel such as the frame of eyeglasses, the peak of a cap, a helmet, and so on. The device includes a body having a U-shaped attachment member and an outwardly extending rod portion. The rod portion terminates in a socket which receives a U-shaped member having a socket joint at each end thereof. The U-shaped member is pivotally attached to the socket joint on the rod and supports a mirror on the other socket joint.
French Pat. No. 935,711 issued Feb. 9, 1948 for a REAR VIEW MIRROR FOR GLASSES sets forth an elongated rod having a pair of clamps adapted to attach to the temple piece of an eyeglass support a pivotally attached mirror. The mirror position is adjusted by sliding the support along the temple eyepiece and by pivoting the mirror.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,175,896 issued Oct. 10, 1939 for a REAR VIEW MIRROR FOR EYEGLASSES sets forth several configurations for attaching a mirror to the temple piece or frame of a conventional eyeglass. The attachment includes a slideable rod which supports the mirror in a pivotal attachment.
French Pat. No. 2,532,070 issued Feb. 24, 1984 for a REAR VIEW MIRROR FOR ATTACHMENT TO SPECTACLES sets forth an elongated support rod having clip means for attachment to the temple piece of the eyeglasses. The elongated rod terminates at its forward end in a hinge portion from which a downwardly extending arm is hingeably attached. The downwardly extending arm supports a mirror in a pivotal manner.
While the above-described prior art structures have realized some success in providing rear view mirror capability for eyeglasses and the like, their mechanical structures are often cumbersome and make the use of the eyeglasses more complicated. In addition, the majority of structures shown to date do not readily accommodate the folding of the temple pieces to the closed position in which the glasses may be readily carried within a pocket or glass case in accordance with their normal use without such mirrors.
Their remains therefore, a need in the art for an improved means of attaching a rear view mirror device to eyeglasses which facilitate their transport in the closed position.